Access to work help

[willowcatkin111]

I am trying to claim a grant to cover the extra costs because my disability means I cannot drive. If anyone has succeeded and can offer help i would be most grateful. It seems a minefield as the ATW keep taking about 'not being able to use public transport' but in most cases there is no public transport available or it takes 4 times as long.

[LeoTimmyandVi]

Hi, my job involves advising about AtW. ATW consider anything up to 90 mins reasonable travel time. If there is no public transport then you can get taxi travel with a contribution from you (40p a mile if memory serves) or increasingly they are looking to find support workers using a car to drive you. If you job requires travel I.e community based, then they would probably plump for a support worker to do all the travel.

Just to check, if you have a mobility vehicle ATW will expect you to use that rather than fund the travel.

I would pre prepare by getting 3 taxi quotes for the journey and calling some support worker/care agencies or 3 support worker drivers. The assessor that comes to see you will be much better prepared if you have already done that bit of research.

ATW covers other support as well. If you want to tell me a bit more about your access requirements then I can advise what other support you could access.

[SauvignonBlanche]

I got taxis for a year at a a crazy cost but sidelined the fact that I could only get to work on public transport by setting off the night before, by obtaining a GP letter saying I wasn't fit to do it.

Would that be an option in your case?

[willowcatkin111]

Atw have told me to get medical evidence that I cannot use public transport and my GP may well do that but by no means certain as I can use public transport it either doesn't exist or takes 2 hrs for what would be a 30min drive.
Thanks for the heads up about a support worker I will look into that as my job does require travel - that is what I need the help for as I walk to work.
I do not have a motabilty vehicle - my driving licence has been revoked on medical grounds so I cannot legally drive. I am trying to get taxi quotes but getting them to put it in writing is proving a nightmare 😐
The adviser kept saying it was work's responsibility to get me where I needed to go if there is no public transport but if I cannot travel I cannot do my job so will lose it (licence revoked after they gave me the job). The other complication is that I cannot predict where and when I need to travel, it depends on what comes up - I could need to travel 100 miles one day and 3 the next or nothing for a week! There is no option for amended duties as it is a small team in which only I have the qualifications/experience to do my job.
Feel stuck as don't want to lose this job, I really enjoy it.

[LeoTimmyandVi]

Ask the GP to focus on how extended travel will exacerbate your health condition. E.g 2 hours on public transport means you would arrive at your visits unable to fulfil your duties and long term could lead to a decline in your health. Anything which states that ATW not taking action could result in your job loss or aggravate your condition really.

If you google 'access to work guide for advisers version 24' that is the current guidance the advisers are using. Helpful to be able to use their own guidance to argue back!

Good luck, I am dealing more and more with ATW refusing claims and making things unnecessarily hard - very frustrating!

[LeoTimmyandVi]

Oh, and they can get around the unpredictable travel by giving you a budget. They may ask you to keep a diary of your travel over a few weeks and then average it out. You can then use the budget to book travel as and when you need it.

[LadyLapsang]

Many years ago I worked in this area and my clients have received adapted cars, taxi fares, support workers etc. however its sounds like they were more clear cut cases, e.g. long standing employment and sudden onset disability (think losing your sight very rapidly / amputation etc.) so could not use public transport at all and eligible for high rate DLA. Have you just been offered this job? What did you do before?